Antioxidant dietary supplement compositions and methods for maintaining healthy skin

Abstract

Compositions and methods for maintaining healthy skin and alleviating skin conditions such as redness, inflammation, irritation and skin aging, as well as for maintaining healthy scalp and hair are disclosed. The oral compositions disclosed comprise antioxidants including lycopene, gallic acid and ascorbic acid. Preferably lycopene has been water-extracted, more preferably under acid conditions. In the method of treatment aspect of the invention, an oral composition containing antioxidant(s) is administered to a person concurrently with a topical treatment for said skin conditions. Preferred topical compositions comprise cyclohexane polyols, such as cyclohexanediol or cyclohexanetriol.

1 .- 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A composition for oral consumption comprising plant-derived material supplemented with a material selected from substantially pure gallic acid, gallic acid derivatives excluding gallic acid esters, and mixtures thereof,
 wherein the plant-derived material comprises a lycopene-containing material obtained from a tomato water-extraction process.   
     
     
         41 . The composition according to  claim 40  which additionally comprises an effective amount of a material selected from ginger, ginger extract, rutin and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         42 . A composition for oral consumption comprising lycopene-containing material supplemented with a material selected from substantially pure antioxidants and/or plant-derived material rich in antioxidants selected from phenolic, polyphenolic, carotenoid and flavonoid antioxidants and their derivatives, and mixtures thereof, excluding ascorbic acid and its derivatives,
 wherein the lycopene-containing material is obtained from a tomato water-extraction process.   
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 42  wherein said antioxidants comprise gallic acid, rutin, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 42  wherein the plant-derived material contains at least about 40 mg of gallic acid or gallic acid equivalents per 1 g of dry weight. 
     
     
         45 . The composition according to  claim 44  which additionally comprises an effective amount of a material selected from ginger, ginger extract and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         46 . A method of maintaining healthy skin and relieving skin conditions including conditions associated with acne, rosacea, inflammation, irritation and skin aging, comprising administering to a person in need of such treatment
 (a) topical treatment for said conditions at the site of said skin condition, together with   (b) oral administration to said person of a composition comprising an effective amount of one or more antioxidants,   wherein at least one oxidant comprises a lycopene-containing material obtained from a tomato water-extraction process.   
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 46  wherein an effective amount of ginger or a ginger extract is additionally administered to said person. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein topical treatment comprises topically applying to said person, at the site of said condition, a safe and effective amount of the compound having the following formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R1 is selected from —OH, and C 1 -C 3  alkyl OH; and R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5  and R 6  are each independently selected from —H, —OH, —COOH, C 1 -C 6  alkyl and C 3 -C 6  cycloalkyl; provided that the compound includes no more than five —OH groups. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48  wherein the compound is applied to the skin in an amount of from about 0.001 to about 10 mg/cm 2 . 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 48  wherein the compound is applied to the skin in a topical carrier. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 48  wherein the compound is selected from cyclohexanol, 2-cyclohexylethanol, cyclohexylmethanol, 3-cyclohexyl-1-propanol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, 1,3 cyclohexanediol, 1,2-cyclohexanediol, 4-cyclohexylcyclohexanol, 4-methylcyclohexanol, 1,2,3-cyclohexanetriol, 1,3,5-cyclohexanetriol, 1,4,5-cyclohexanetriol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51  wherein the compound is selected from 1,2-cyclohexanediol, 1,3-cyclohexanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, 1,2,3-cyclohexanetriol, 1,3,5-cyclohexanetriol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 46  wherein the topical composition comprises adjunct materials selected from vitamins, antioxidants, microelements, natural extract, plant materials, hormones, proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates, oil, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 46  wherein the water extraction is performed at pH below about 6. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54  wherein the water extraction is performed at a pH from about 1.5 to about 4. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 46  wherein the oral composition further comprises non-lycopene plant derived material. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 46  which comprises an antioxidant selected from gallic acid, ascorbic acid, pharmaceutically active derivatives of gallic acid and ascorbic acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein an effective amount of ginger or ginger extract is additionally administered to said person. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the antioxidant is administered at the daily dose of from about 1 mg to about 200 mg per kg of body weight. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  which comprises an antioxidant selected from ascorbic acid and its derivatives, and is administered in a daily dose, wherein the daily dose of ascorbic acid ranges from about 3 mg to about 200 mg per kg of body weight.